Thursday, 10 December 2009

Use an ink pad suitable for embossing to ink up your stamp. Rather than pressing the stamp onto the ink pad, use the ink pad and lightly press it around the stamp.

Some Pigment ink is also suitable as it takes a little while to dry giving the embossing powder time to stick.

Stamp your design. Do not rock the stamp as this will cause shadows on your image. If your paper or card sticks to the stamp hold it with one hand and lift your stamp straight up, don’t try to tilt it first and ‘peel‘ it off the paper.

Place your stamped design onto a craft tray or sheet of paper and sprinkle the embossing powder on whilst still wet. Tap off any excess powder into the craft tray or sheet of paper. This can then be returned to the jar for reuse on another craft project.

Heat your design to activate the powder using a heat gun. Keep the gun moving with circular movements so you do not overheat one spot leading to uneven results.

The design will become raised and shiny. This should take about 30 seconds.

Tips

Embossing powder can stick to areas on card that you have touched with your fingers so it is a good idea to wipe the card with an anti-static pad or talcum powder before you begin.

Make sure you give your powder a good shake before using, particularly with twinkle powders as the embossing powder and ‘glitter‘ tend to separate when they settle giving very patchy results.

If you are embossing a black outline it is better to use black ink and clear powder to stop the powder marking any non-image areas.

Use a small paint brush to remove any excess/unwanted powder before you start to heat.

Warm your heat gun for a couple of seconds before starting to use…don’t hold it too close or you will scorch your paper/card and possibly your fingers too. Also be careful what surface your stamped image is resting on as you could damage it with the heat.

If using pigment ink on glossy paper or vellum you must use embossing powder and a heat tool to dry the ink

Try clipping your stamped image onto a clipboard lined with tin foil to reflect the heat back - this gives much quicker and more even embossing results.

Monday, 23 November 2009

As we get into the Christmas spirit here at Kay Dees Crafts, we are currently offering 15% off Smirk Christmas products - excluding the wooden stamp range.

We have had 2 lucky winners so far in our Christmas competitions. The current competition for a Bumper value pack of Christmas cardmaking goodies runs until the 30th November. Surprisingly we have had LOTS of wrong answers so far!

Our Christmas and New Year break is being planned but the weather may sadly influence our usual destination in the Lake District. My heart goes out to all the people affected by the terrible flooding and I hope that the waters recede quickly and that further rain holds off.

We were quite surprised at the massive price jump for accomodation this year so we have decided to hire a transit van instead. I will most definately miss the real fire of a cottage but I am sure we will find many local 'inns' with roaring fires to sit beside instead. However it is not too late for us to cancel the van booking if anyone can point us in the direction of a cottage with realistic prices that will accept the dogs!

Thursday, 5 November 2009

This is fantastic news for us here at Kay Dees Crafts, and also for you our buyers. Business can now get back to usual in the run up to Christmas.

I don’t know if there are many people like me, but I detest shopping - particularly at this time of year. Shopping on the internet has made it a much more enjoyable experience where you can browse at leisure, without doing your hair, sat comfortable with a cup of coffee. No argy bargy over the last Terrys chocolate orange, no damaged ankles and a lot less stress too!

The past couple of months have been difficult with intermittent mail services but I am sure Royal Mail workers will clear the backlog quickly and get back to collecting and delivering our mail with their usual speed and efficiency soon..

I wish I could thank the TUC representative for pouring oil on these troubled waters, I doubt I would be writing this blog entry without him.

Friday, 23 October 2009

I started Kay Dees Crafts because of buttons. Many moons ago I used to design and make cushions. I needed some ribbon and buttons to add finishing touches and was disappointed in the ranges available. So I went off foraging for something different.

I don't recall anything specific in my early years that got me hooked on craft buttons but I do remember rummaging about in old tins full of different buttons.

Although these smart clear tubs aren't quite 'granny's button tins' they are full of buttons in various shapes and sizes. I was quite tempted to have one of each colour just to sit on my shelf above my desk!

We have 7 different colour schemes to choose from from funky yellow and orange to the dramatic black and white.

I get many emails about our button ranges but the very best ones are when people write in to tell us what they are doing with their buttons.

I am hoping to get some photographs soon from our customers who have jazzed up Tshirts, done a mosaic table top or made some funky earrings using buttons they bought from us at Kay Dees Crafts.

Keep the emails coming peeps - and get out your cameras for us to see the end results too!

Sunday, 4 October 2009

Answer one simple question for your chance to win over £50 worth of Christmas crafting goodies.

Prize includes items from Dovecraft, Craftime and also Hot off the Press.

These goodies will enable you to make a whole stack of Christmas cards to send to your family and friends. No purchase is necessary but you will need to do a little digging at Kay Dees Crafts to find the answer!

Using a flourish clear stamp from the Hampton Art Floral Flourish mini stamp set, and an ink pad (we have the teddy bear brown or clear inks that would be perfect) , stamp randomly all over the front of the card (remember to allow it to fall off the edges) then leave to dry for a few minutes.

Monday, 24 August 2009

I have a stack of cards that Sue has been beavering away with. With the couple of health scares over the past 6 weeks or so I have not been showing them off. Apologies Sue, your cards are far too beautiful to sit in our filing cabinet!

Anyway, Sue has made some cards using Carol Tratts Kitten Heels range and I am absolutely delighted with the results. We are awaiting delivery of more products from this range, so do pop back later this week if items you need are out of stock :)

I am going to feature the cards Sue has made all week, but please do remember the Kitten Heels range has designs for virtually all seasons, including Christmas. Its a fab range and we at Kay Dees Crafts are delighted to have found them.

Engagement Card

Make a A5 card and cover the front in a soft pastel paper - Laura Ashley papers are perfect for this

Wednesday, 1 July 2009

July is a favourite month at Kay Dees Crafts. Not only is it the start of the summer holidays but we also have a birthday celebration too! This year I am 40 ---- where has the time gone!? We are hoping to take a week off and tour around Cornwall with the dogs. I have already been looking at the cost of hiring a van so we can just throw the airbed in and go wherever we choose. The only problem with having a birthday at this time of year is the fact it is peak holiday season and boy do those prices go up! Dean had the luxury of a beautiful cottage for the week of his 40th, I get the back of a transit van!

Anyway, we are busy loading our new products this month - and there are a lot of them!

We also have a new range of papers and cardstock from Die cuts with a View. Including the very popular All Dressed up and Rockstar ranges. These ranges are currently available in 4.5 x 6.5 and 8 x 8 with matching adhesive ribbons and scrapbook albums too.

We also have some craft boxes too but with the buttons, papers and other items yet to put out for sale, they may have to be a feature for next month!

Sue used two sheets of paper from the handmade paper stacks in red and also green as contrasting mounts on this card. (The beauty of using these packs as mounts is that they are already cut into handy sizes - Sue simply trimmed the green paper with edging scissors.)

Wrap and tie co-ordinating cardmaking ribbon around the front of the card. Sue chose the light blue for this William card.

Cut out and 'assemble' the waterfall design* following the instructions on each sheet. Mount the completed waterfall design onto the card using green brads from the Dovecraft neutral pack. * You may want to stamp the underside of the waterfall tabs with a pale design as they can look out of place being plain white.

Add your insert and sign the back of the card.

These beautiful cards cascade from one picture into another with a gentle pull on the bottom tab.

Take a piece of cream card and either stamp your sentiment or use a peel off and run the brown ink pad around it. Take the same two colours of paper and mat the card on to it, place on card front using tape in the bottom right hand side.

Cut a strip of spotty brown (all in the masculine pack) 4 ½" x 1 7/8" and mount the same way. Around the bottom wrap some funky fibres and stick down on the back side.

Cut a 1 ½" circle of the same colour as the card blank you used . Cut a slightly smaller circle in cream and stamp with your sentiment. (Kay Dees Crafts have a great range of mini clear stamps in stock.)

Take the gone fishing sign from our fishing themed button pack and remove the shank. *Hint: Split apart the button and pop a dab of silicone glue onto one piece and reaffix. This will stop the button falling apart in transit. Affix the sign along with a fish button onto the card again using silicone glue.

* Sue uses products available from us here at Kay Dees Crafts - but as the website is still being stocked not all items show as being available. If you are looking for products Sue has used but cannot find them on our website, please email us.

Thursday, 14 May 2009

I have been incredibly fortunate and have met a very talented local cardmaker named Sue.

Everyday we go to the sorting office to drop our packages off and see the same Royal Mail man. A couple of weeks ago he finally asked what we sold and he and my husband ended up having a conversation about us, their wives. He mentioned his wife, Sue, was an avid cardmaker and scrapbooker so Dean being the ever vigilant 'salesman' passed on our business card.

To cut a long story short Sue sent me a CD filled with the most beautiful handcrafted cards she had made. Seeing an opportunity for us both I contacted her and I am delighted to say that Sue has jumped in feet first with us.

Having already been given a bag of cards that Sue has made I thought it about time I shared her talents with you, my readers.

** Drum roll **

Introducing Sue Crease, very talented cardmaker and designer!

Cattitude

Sue used a square card blank to create this seriously cute birthday card.

It is wonderful to see handcrafted cards, but even better when you see what fantastic results come from products you actually sell!

Sue enjoyed working with the Design House Papercraft products and found the Dovecraft papers very easy to cut with her Cricut - with no dragging or tearing.

This was our first venture together and we both got different results than we were expecting. For instance I imagined Sue taking the Cattitude decoupage sheet, along with the selection of Dovecraft Designer papers we gave her, and coming up with some ideas for what could be made and a shopping list of 'extras' for us to supply her with. Instead, 5 days later, I got 9 beautiful handcrafted cards and a list of items Sue had used from her own stash!

Sue was apparently like a small child in a sweetshop, excited with new products and filled with ideas - this is of course according to her husband! Sue will now be popping round to see us armed with the knowledge that we stock everything she needs to make her beautiful cards from scratch.

Thank you Sue x

Do keep your eye on our blog for more exclusive designs from Sue Crease - talented cardmaker and papercrafter.

Sunday, 19 April 2009

Busy days and nights here at Kay Dees Crafts. I always knew running your own business was hard as I watched my dad as I was growing up - I didn't realise quite how hard though!

The shop design has changed yet again! I met a lovely lady, Tanya, through Freecycle. I had a big bag of ribbon cut offs that were of no use to me, not long enough to sell but plenty long enough for canny crafters. Tanya answered our Freecycle post and came to collect her bundle. As we were chatting about the business and what our plans were, Tanya said she would cast an eye over the website and pass us back some feedback. As some of our readers and buyers will know, we are always keen to get feedback regarding our business.

As it turns out Tanya is a very talented designer! We have had some fantastic constructive advice and we are busy trying to implement some of her suggestions. Thank you Tanya! I am struggling with some of our graphics, but my main concern is to have a functioning website....at the moment some of the fonts are so tiny you would need a magnifying glass to read them! So back to hours of reformatting but I do think the end results will be worth it.

We now have a range of cardmaking tags and banners available, soon to be listed (hopefully this evening). One of my buyers makes Wedding cards and stationery and requested some Order of Service banners. Of course whilst I was shopping for her request I could not ignore the many different tags I found LOL

I had a lazy day last Sunday as I really needed a break from the shop. I decided I wanted to visit the seaside and of course we had to introduce Ghyll to the sea. I literally stuck a pin in the map and we headed down to Seaford and walked part of the South Downs Way. I have yet to download the photographs of our day but a fantastic time was had by all....and despite it being a Bank Holiday weekend, the weather was glorious.

Tuesday, 7 April 2009

What a nightmare. My husband, who has the patience of a saint, spent most of the weekend helping me count, stay sane and organise our stock for the end of the financial year. Tough task at the best of times but add that, a busy weekend of sales and a lass with fibromyalgia and you have a mountainous task. Dean kept me focused, calmed my fears of 'I have lost a box full of xxx', reassured me I was not going mad when I simply could not add up and kept me in take away food!

I have a lot of stock that I want rid of to free my 'shelves' up for some fantastic new ranges I have seen over in USA and I have promised myself that I will not buy until some of it has gone. So I have had a mad price blitz on some basic crafting items:

Thursday, 2 April 2009

Our Dover Little Activity Books are finally listed! I always feel such a sense of achievement when I finish listing a block of products.

These sturdy little books each have 6 precut stencils. No scissors required; just detach plates and away you go. The durable paper bound stencil designs will also add charming accents to windows, walls, furniture, fabrics and a host of other flat surfaces. Ideal for children but equally useful for all you canny adult crafters out there.

Wednesday, 1 April 2009

These seriously cute brad embellishments have not yet caught on that much in the UK with cardmakers and scrapbookers. This month at Kay Dees Crafts we have them on Special Offer for only £2.99 per pack to try and change that.

Brad Buddies™ make perfect borders for scrapbooks; they are also great for embellishing a photo, a tag or your journalling.

Cardmakers can add these embellishments to the front of a card as a focal point or as a surprise on the inside of the card.

Thursday, 26 March 2009

I am paying the price for my mad frenzy last week. Fibromyalgia is not a forgiving illness when you overdo it. I was actually quite frightened for a couple of days, especially over the weekend, as I seemed to lose the ability to grip things....I have broken a few mugs and glasses :( I am now just getting past the pins and needles stage in my hands but it still hurts like a hurting thing on a hurting day. Fellow fibro sufferers will also know that with the pain comes problems sleeping, with the lack of sleep comes more pain and you end up on the fibro merry go round. Well it can stop now please as I want to get off!

I have taken some time out and rather than try to list 100+ things a day on the website, manage Ebay sales, clean house, cook dinner, wash clothes etc etc I have been taking the evenings off and watching some DVDs. Although I am only running at about 75% I am in a better place than I was pain wise. I have set a daily target for 20 listings on the website and managing Ebay sales. Husband and son are now doing the cooking, cleaning and washing - whether they like it or not :)

It is all well and good thinking you are Superwoman, but reality is a b*tch!

Website is coming on slowly but surely, lots of feedback from my lovely buyers which is always welcomed. My embellishment tins are now all listed and they have proved to be really popular.

Laura Ashley embellishment tins are full of designer accessories including over 130 double sided chipboards, a selection of unique fibres and 8 pots of glass beads, all based around the Connemara colours and themes.The chipboards include images taken from the Connemara theme, plus alphabet tokens too, colour co-ordinated to match the rest of the designer range.

All contained within a stylish printed storage tin with handle.

The ever popular Retro Floral range has a matching embellishment tin too. I am running this, the Masculine and also the Glamour tins on special offer at the moment. Although these tins only contain the chipboards and not the beads and fibres, they are still fantastic value for money at £3.99.

I have just started listing my new delivery of mini craft buttons. The majority of our micro buttons are 6mm..yesterday we had some arrive that are 4mm!! They are TINY:

Anyway this is not me listing some buttons is it? Hubby is working this evening, son has just informed me he is cooking dinner for us both :) I am a seriously lucky woman despite my little whinge about the physical (and mental!) limits I now face.

Thursday, 19 March 2009

Charming thoughts indeed. I have been busy adding our range of charms to the website and took delivery today of a sample from a new range I spotted whilst browsing my suppliers.

What can I say? I have always been a big fan of Creative Charms and ensure I carry the full range. However the new charms I have received surpass even those. We also now have a couple of different charm kits too - Baby and Wedding themed. Great value packs with fibres included.

Pop over and see the new 1900s, wine drinking and Love Messages we now have listed. Perfect additions for many different hand crafting projects including: handmade greeting cards, jewellery making, beading, mobile phones, invitations, place cards and scrapbooking.

These kits are so user friendly! Die cut punch outs with co-ordinating backing papers AND foam pads included. The punch outs are all numbered too for easy 'assembly'.

The ribbon stickers are all now uploaded. Surprisingly the Christmas stickers are our biggest sellers at the moment. You cardmakers do like to start early.

I have almost finished with our stamps range. In fact by the time the blog goes out I will probably have added the last 2 sets. I am following a blog by a lady, (I cannot remember her name but shall edit this later when I have found her again) who has made some absolutely fab cards with the new Smirk stamps. I really need to go and dig that post of hers out.